Turncoat

Turncoat
Turncoat Turn"coat`, n. One who forsakes his party or his principles; a renegade; an apostate; a defector to the enemy. [1913 Webster]

He is a turncoat, he was not true to his profession. --Bunyan. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • turncoat — (n.) 1550s, from TURN (Cf. turn) + COAT (Cf. coat). Originally one who tried to hide the badge of his party or leader. The expression to turn one s coat change principles or party is recorded from 1560s …   Etymology dictionary

  • turncoat — *renegade, apostate, recreant, backslider Analogous words: deserter, forsaker, abandoner (see corresponding verbs at ABANDON) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • turncoat — [n] traitor apostate, back stabber*, Benedict Arnold*, betrayer, conspirator, deceiver, defector, deserter, double crosser*, fink*, informer, Judas*, quisling, rat*, rebel, renegade, snake*, sneak*, snitch*, spy, squealer*, stool pigeon*,… …   New thesaurus

  • turncoat — ► NOUN ▪ a person who deserts one party or cause in order to join an opposing one …   English terms dictionary

  • turncoat — [tʉrn′kōt΄] n. [from the notion of a coat worn right side out or inside out, according to circumstances] a person who goes over to the opposite side or party; traitor …   English World dictionary

  • turncoat — [[t]tɜ͟ː(r)nkoʊt[/t]] turncoats N COUNT (disapproval) If you describe someone as a turncoat, you think they are disloyal or deceitful, because they have left their party or organization and joined an opposing one. His one time admirers now accuse …   English dictionary

  • turncoat — UK [ˈtɜː(r)nˌkəʊt] / US [ˈtɜrnˌkoʊt] noun [countable] Word forms turncoat : singular turncoat plural turncoats someone who stops supporting a particular group and joins an opposing group …   English dictionary

  • turncoat — turn|coat [ˈtə:nkəut US ˈtə:rnkout] n someone who stops supporting a political party or group and joins the opposing side ▪ Casson was publicly criticized as a turncoat and a traitor …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • turncoat — turn|coat [ tɜrn,kout ] noun count someone who stops supporting a particular group and joins an opposing group: TRAITOR: Johnson was just a political turncoat who wanted only to help his own career …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • turncoat — [16] A turncoat is someone who abandons or betrays a group or cause and joins its opponents. The story goes – probably apocryphally – that there was once a Duke of Saxony whose territories abutted those of France. Clearly anxious always to make… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

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